SENTINEL & ENTERPRISE/ JOHN LOVE
A.J. Fayorsey, 16, of Westminster, sits with some of the Police Department patches he has been collecting over the years as he talks about his cancer treatment. View the video at sentinelandenterprise.com.

WESTMINSTER -- Can you keep a secret? Promise not to tell?

The family of A.J. Fayorsey, a Westminster teen who is being treated for cancer, started a campaign a week ago Friday asking police departments across the country to send an embroidered patch from their department to add to a collection he started as a Cub Scout.

A.J.'s mother, Sandra Fayorsey, said the campaign has gone atomic through Facebook, drawing 1,000 followers within a week with promises of patches coming in from places like Russia and Ireland. The campaign has expanded to include fire department and military unit patches as well, and the recipient still doesn't know how much the effort has grown.

"This is unbelievable that we've gotten this much support," said Sandra Fayorsey.

He stopped attending classes to concentrate on his treatment. He now receives weekly chemotherapy along with pharmaceutical support and blood transfusions.

"I sleep a lot because the chemo usually makes me tired," said A.J.

Twice a week he is visited by a tutor to study for his final exams from last semester.

Sitting at his living room table this week, he is a typical, soft-spoken shaggy-haired 10th-grader. He talks to his friends over text message and Twitter, listens to reggae on vinyl records in his room and occasionally plays "Call of Duty" on the Xbox.

"He's the kid I should have been," said his father, Archie Fayorsey.

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He said his son's attitude through the entire process has been amazing. He doesn't complain, and his twin sister, Cassie, helps keep his spirits up. He expresses a lot of optimism and fights hard.

A.J. said the thing he misses the most is "just talking to my friends about school."

His treatment and cancer tend to creep into most conversations. He said the one thing he really wants to do is ride his bike into town and hang out with his friends.

Because of his immune system problems he gets few visitors; only people in good health are allowed to come in the house.

Earlier this year a family member sent A.J. an FBI coin, which agents are allowed one of each year. Sandra Fayorsey said this rekindled a childhood hobby of collecting police patches with his dad.

About a decade ago when he was a Cub Scout his pack was instructed to request patches from the Westminster Police Department. He and his father started collecting them from different departments together and gathered about 30 in a shoe box. The collection also includes a New York City 9/11 patch the size of a dinner plate.

"He hadn't looked at them for years, and (the FBI coin) just piqued his interest," she said.

His older sister Kami started the Facebook page "Patches for A.J." to help add to the collection, and Sandra Fayorsey said it's been a runaway success. Police officers from Westminster and Fitchburg have donated large collections and are helping to promote the cause within the law enforcement community.

Sandra Fayorsey said the family has also received an offer for a tour of the State Police barracks, and money raised from the annual David Philbrick Cancer Run motorcycle event in Townsend this September will go toward A.J. Fayorsey.

Since her son is not on Facebook and doesn't read the newspaper, Sandra Fayorsey said she doesn't expect A.J. will find out about the campaign by accident. (When interviewed on Thursday for this story he was told the focus was on his treatment.)

The family has not decided how they will present the patches to A.J. Fayorsey or how the collection will be displayed. They are considering having them sewn onto a quilt and having it stored in a transparent case in the pool room.

The Westminster Police Department is lending its address for mailed-in patches. They can be sent to 7 South St., Westminster, MA 01473 with attention to Patches for A.J. See the Facebook page for further instructions.

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